Bruges, Belgium

I took a day trip from Amsterdam to Bruges over the Queen's Day weekend, mainly to see this very popular tourist destination in Europe, and also to avoid the riot that engulfed the Dutch city. Bruges is small enough to go everywhere by foot as long as one is shod in sensible footwear. It is very well-preserved with architecture going back to the 14th and 15th centuries. Because of this, Bruges is well-visited, mainly by Europeans, which resulted in tourist prices everywhere. I had my best lunch during my 10-day stay in Amsterdam at well, not Amsterdam, but Bruges. I wanted to try the seasonal (spring only) and highly-prized white asparagus, which the locals call "white gold", and ordered it done in the classic Belgian way at a local restaurant. The thick white asparagus were steamed, drizzled in extra virgin olive oil, and paired with mashed hard-boiled egg tossed in melted butter and chopped basil leaves. That was the best asparagus ever - soft yet still slightly crunchy and juicily sweet. It cost me 14.95 euros for three sticks but they were worth every single cent. The mussels with white wine was also a dish I had been wanting to have, after my tasty experience with the French version. The mussels in white wine pot was good but overshadowed by that wonderful appetiser of white gold. On hindsight, I should have stayed one night at Bruges to thoroughly enjoy the small town, avoid having to rush for the unpredictable inter-city train, and of course wolf down a few more sticks of asparagus.

One note about the inter-city rail was that the timetables were never always adhered to, causing some trouble for passengers, especially non-Dutch, non-Flemish and non-French speaking folks, like me. A 4-hour train ride could turn into a 6-hour train ride because the rail company decided to drop everyone off at border station on Dutch land, requesting passengers to wait for the next train at another platform, just so that repair works can be carried out on the tracks. And when confused passengers grabbed a train conductor to find out what was going on, the poor Belgian guy could only say "I don't know. I am Belgian. I don't know the Dutch system." I am not particularly impressed by the European way of running their train system.

My own pair of Monsfrobs!

Named after my alter ego -Tzaremus Comidel!
Support local design. Get them @ RuggArts!

I am lucky that I am able to interact frequently and work with very high quality talent in my profession. Some of these highly successful people have become a role model of sorts whom I often find myself referring back to, which in turn becomes a source of motivation for me to seek self-improvement constantly. Learning through experience and imitation has greater impact than reading a book and noting down what it is telling you to do. I think often about these people and analyse what is it about them that differentiates them from most others and why I simply can’t quite put them out of my mind. I identified the one star-like quality of each of the following four people (in pseudonyms), who have made the strongest impression on me so far.

Elephant – Positivism
- Enthusiasm is infectious
- Believes in the change for good and always strives for improvement
- Believes in the good of people => Build people’s capability = Building organizational capability
- Believes in the power of many as opposed to one = Empowers people
- Positive towards life and oneself = Exudes a can-do attitude

Maggot – Personable
- Easy to connect with and build a relationship
- Makes an impact on others = Memorable
- Hard to dislike
- Gives others a sense of comfort
- Non-threatening

Yellow – Discipline
- Stays focused day in day out = Cut straight to the core of issues.
- Is relentless = Putting in the effort consistently
- Stays engaged throughout all happenings
- Excellent time and self management ability

Jam – Serenity & Balance
- Exudes a calm demeanor = Reassuring presence
- Has a strong sense of self (“a strong core”)
- Ability to stay on an even keel when dealing with shocks/problems/conflict
- Imparts confidence to others (“There is nothing I can’t handle”)

For those who hire people

Oh goodness, it has been almost a month since I last posted. I'm not giving this up, just that it has been a rather eventful month. I was away for almost 2 weeks in Amsterdam for work and some sightseeing. I think I walked too much (including a 40min trek to the tulip fields) and returned completely exhausted. Photos will be up soon, hopefully Canonet won't be letting me down. Thank you to Daniel who lent me not only his Canonet but also the legendary workhorse Mamiya RB67; unfortunately it was too heavy to lug around on travels. I am looking forward to using it now that I am back.

So I went to the library to collect a reserved book soon after I arrived back home. Strategic Interviewing comes highly recommended by my firm, which has adapted its approach to our daily use. I personally think it is an effective and objective approach to assess people for the role in question, and it is close enough to making interviews more of a science than an art (or gut feel). Fundamentally, it's being clear about what you want and checking off whether job competencies are met. It is important to set goals for the interview, define job competencies clearly, and find out whether these competencies are met and how they are met. Like most good things in life, consistency is what makes the difference here. The process should be applied equally and rigorously to all interviewees so that an objective assessment and comparison can be made to identify the most suitable candidate.